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Denmanath
'Holy Empire of Denmanth '''was created in the year 00 AD by the treaty of Minaret. In it 21 duchies joined to form a single Empire. The Emperor is elected by the 21 dukes (during a meeting known as a 'Conclave') and serves for life while retaining his position as a Duke. The Empire has a strong committment to religion, as can be seen by the fact that it was illegal not to be a member of the Church of Denmanath until the pasage of the Religious Freedom Act 1900. The Church is still a very wealthy, powerful and influencial body that is still actively involved in government. The people of Denmanath are know as Denmanathens. Their language is English. Geographically Denmanath is a vast and varied region occupying the Denmanathen Peninsula. It stretches from the sandy beaches of Pryss and the Quell Islands in the North to the rich farmland of Delter in the South, the metropolis of Minaret in the East and the Mountains of Pryss in West. All in all this vast expanse covers roughly 10m kilometres squared. It has a population (according to the 2002 census) of 400,000,000 (75% urban). A tenth of the population lives in Minaret the capital city and centre of commerce. The country is a democracy but it is also a constitutional monarchy, the Emperor more than a mere figure-head and the Duchies have powers defined in the Constitution and it is up to them how they administer them, 5 Duchies have no Parliament and the Duke holds the power in all but one of those Duchies, (an elected Chancellor holds most of it in one). =Government= Emperor Selection The Emperor is chosen by the 21 Dukes (collectively know as the Great Council). Opun the death of the Emperor the Dukes customarily travel to Minaret and 3 days after the funeral they meet in the Conclave House (a building within the Royal Quater of the Imperial Kremlin), there they discuss the succession and cut off contact with the outside world. They are ballotted every morning and every evening starting the next day until one candidate receives 14 votes. After 28 unsuccessful ballots all but the 2 candidates with the most votes are eliminated, if then neither candidate receives 14 votes then one final ballot is held and whichever of the 2 that received that majority wins. Theoretically it can take up to 16 days to elect one though that has not happenned in 150 yrs. The successful candidate is presented to the outside world from the accession balcony and a week of celebration begins. He is eventually crowned (a few months later) and inaugurated as the Supreme Governor on Earth of the Church of Denmanath. He is re-creowned every year by tradition. Powers A distinction should be made between theoretical power and power in practice. Theoretically he can call a meeting of the Great Council, grant pardons, veto bills from Congress, grant and revoke titles (eg Sir, Baron), act as commander-in-chief of the military and issue decrees and Orders Imperial. In practice the Emperor takes little part in running the military and rarely issues decrees nowadays. He does however hold a near absolute veto of Bills of Congress, as his veto can only be over-ridden by the Great Council if it is pettitioned to do so by 2/3 vote of the Senate, therefore a veto hasnt been over-ridden in 200 yrs. He is the ''ex oficio Governor of Wentwestor of a significant section of Minaret (the Historical, Business and Government districts). He is also the ex oficio Supreme Governor on Earth of the Church of Denmanath. As such he is also a titular bishop (Bishop of Wentwestor) and has the right to wear a white 15- tassled galero (a symbol of his position as governor) and a mitre (a symbol of his position as bishop).